Seed Brachytherapy and Erectile Function

· Age. Men who were under age 60 when they had their seed implant fared better with an EF preservation rate of 69% compared to a rate of 50% for men who were 60 and older.

· Medical comorbidities. Conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and ischemic heart disease affected EF preservation rates. Participants with comorbidities had a preservation rate of 47%. For those without such medical conditions, the rate was 64%.

· Gleason score. A man’s Gleason score measures the likelihood that his prostate cancer will spread, based on scientific analysis of the tissue. Gleason scores range from 2 to 10 with higher scores indicating more aggressive cancer and a higher likelihood of cancer spreading. In this study, men with a Gleason score below 7 had an EF preservation rate of 73%. For men with a Gleason score of 7, the rate was 18%.

· Biologically effective dose. Men who received less than 150 Gy of radiation had a preservation rate of 74%. The rate 52% for men who received 150 Gy or more.